“Why does it look like you just spent a day with Brandon?” Stella asked in a teasing tone as soon as Sunset walked through the door of their suite making the fiery haired girl splutter.

“What the hell, Stella?” Sunset choked out while Musa giggled, looking up from her guitar. “I don’t know what you're talking about, I was just meeting my new tutor Ryoko.”

“Ah, that answers that.” Stella said, crossing her arms and nodding sagely.

“Care to enlighten us?” Tecna asked as she came into the room with Flora.

“Ryoko is actually a teacher for the higher years, she’s half dark elf and half succubus.” Stella explained.

“There’s an infernal here?” Musa asked in shock, “Awesome!”

“She can’t control her natural succubus allure, but the more time you spend with her the more you will build up an immunity to it.” Stella explained.

“That would make sense, besides teaching whatever class she does, the students would benefit from being around someone and build up an immunity to the skill with someone without nefarious purposes.” Tecna said, getting a nod from Stella.

“Exactly, from what daddy said, Ryoko faced a lot of opposition in becoming an instructor here. It was Palladium along with King Oritel and Queen Marion who got Ryoko the job and the fact that she helps students just by being around is enough to keep her. Add in her invaluable insight with dark magic and her large amount of knowledge, she’s too invaluable to not have here.” Stella explained.

“I’m going to make some tea, does anybody else want some?” Flora asked, a little on edge after hearing about another creature of dark magic at the school. After getting to know Sunset, she knew better than to judge somebody because of alignment alone, but she couldn’t help the years of horror stories passed down in her family and many of the people on her home planet.

“Thanks, but I’m heading out. I want to check out these caves with the shalecats not too far from the Barrier Mountain Range.” Sunset said.

“Why there?” Stella asked.

“Oh, I want to go! I’ve always wanted to see shalecats up close!” Flora said, her mood instantly changing upon hearing about the cat-like creatures.

“Shalecats are typically very friendly, though can often be skittish around humans.” Tecna said as she looked at one of her holographic displays, reading information on it. “It should be safe to check them out, but we shouldn’t let you go alone after what the Trix just pulled.”

“I agree, I want to kick some Trix butt anyways after what they did to you.” Musa said, bouncing back and forth on her feet.

“Thank you girls, but I don’t want to drag you into anything.” Sunset sighed, a part of her wanting the company while another part of her was worried that they would discover her true reason for going. While Daphne said it was okay to talk to Stella about it, she wasn’t sure if the other girls would be okay according to her supposed older sister. She also didn’t want Stella to know until Sunset was absolutely sure that not only Daphne was real, which by this point she was getting to the point of believing that part, but also that Sunset was actually Bloom. She didn’t want to get the hopes up of the girl who has done more for her in such a short time than the Rainbooms ever did for her.

Again she had to shake her thoughts away from the Rainbooms as she had been both missing them and resenting them more lately. She wasn’t sure which emotion she wanted more as she was still hurt over what they did, but for a time they were friends. For a time it felt like Sunset actually belonged somewhere, even if it wasn’t ever fully. A part of her felt as if she belonged here more than anywhere she’s ever been before.

“Sunset, we’re a team, and we should do things as a team.” Tecna said.

“More than that, Sunset, we are a family. If this is important to you, then it is important to us.” Flora said in a voice leaving little debate, but also in a comforting and supportive tone. Flora was one of the very few people who Sunset had ever met with the ability to pull that off. Sunset did miss the way Stella was studying her.

“I’m not going to talk you girls out of this, am I?” Sunset sighed, running her hand down her face. She was truly touched, but she didn’t want to drag them with her for no reason. It was going to be a quick and safe trip. She also didn’t want them to see the locket just yet if it was there. Not until any tests were done and she knew for a fact that she was Bloom, not that she was planning on taking up that name.

“Not a chance.” Tecna said, “We can be there within a half hour tops with flying from what I can make out on the maps. It will be a quick trip.”

“I can teleport us out away from the school so we can transform.” Stella suggested, the others nodding in agreement. So a quick walk down to the gates, the girls exited the school grounds before Stella teleported them a few miles away near where the lake was. A few quick transformations later found the group in the sky and flying after Tecna who took the lead with her holographic GPS that was plotting their course.

“So, care to tell me the real reason we are going to the cave?” Stella asked as she matched Sunset’s speed.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sunset said, hating that she had to lie to Stella. Even if she was trying to protect Stella from the pain of getting her hopes up only for things to turn out to be nothing, it was still lying to her.

“Sunset, I want to help. I can’t do that unless you let me in. I love you, you’re my sister.” Stella said softly, giving the fiery haired teen a pleading look.

“Stella... I want to tell you everything. I really do... But this is just something I have to see through first before I tell you everything.” Sunset admitted, “Stella, I love you too, I really feel like I’m a part of your family. This is just something that I have to see myself, please trust me. If it looks like I’m going to get in over my head you will be the first person I go to. For now I just need you to trust me. Please.”

“I do trust you, Sunset. I’ll... I’ll drop it for now, but please come to me as soon as you can. I’m worried for you.” Stella said.

“I promise.” Sunset nodded.

“If you two are done with your bonding moment, we’re about there.” Musa said, making both Stella and Sunset blush at being called out yet again on the same day.

“Thank you girls.” Sunset said as the girls landed. Her heart sank as she spun around in place taking in the surrounding areas. So many of the cave entrances looked like what Daphne showed her, but there were so many others as well. It was going to take forever to search all of them.

“The good news is that there are no predatory creatures in this area according to the details I can find. The bad news is that this is going to be harder than I first calculated.” Tecna said, her voice a little dejected as she didn’t know there were this many possibilities here. There had to be a better way to look for the shalecats. Or perhaps they should just surprise Sunset and buy her a pet back in the city as she was sure that was what Sunset was up to.

“As long as the Trix doesn’t show up, I think we should be fine. We might have to make a few trips, but this could be fun!” Musa chirped, remaining upbeat as she spun around before pointing in a direction. “What better way to start than just picking one and investigating!”

“Better than standing around here.” Flora agreed. “I just wish there were more plants around here. Maybe I should have asked.”

“The cave entrance does look like the one we are looking for.” Sunset agreed as they all carefully made their way into the cave.

“This place reeks.” Musa choked out as she pinched her nose closed. Stella threw out a few light orbs that floated towards the roof of the cave to illuminate several very large piles of feces left behind by a very obviously big creature.

“Shale cats don’t get this big, do they?” Sunset asked dejectedly. The piles were as large as them meaning it was probably best to vacate this cave before whatever made them came back. Predator or not, that was still a very big creature.

“What’s the rush, fairies?” Icy asked, the other two appearing in equal distances around them so the Winx was caught in a bit of a triangular area.

“Just hand over the ring, and you girls can go.” Stormy grinned.

“And don’t even think of it you dark fairy! One wrong move and we will bring the house down on you and your little friends!” Darcy said, studying each of the girls.

“Stella.” Sunset whispered to Stella who moved close to her. “When you get the signal, do you think you can teleport us out of here?”

“I should be able to.” Stella nodded.

“Just hand over the ring and nobody has to get hurt. We aren’t completely harmless.” Icy said, grinning at their assured victory.

“Ok, fine.” Sunset groaned, before grinning as she threw her arms out creating a shield she made expand so quickly it caught the Trix off guard and sent them flying. “Just kidding. Now, Stella!”

With a wave of her staff, or as Stella keeps calling it, her scepter, the blonde teleported all of her friends out of the cave and midway between the caves and the school. “Sorry, can’t get us too much farther. I’m about out of magic.”

“It’s okay, you did great Stella.” Sunset said, supporting the blonde both physically and emotionally.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get to study a shalecat.” Tecna said, “Then again, maybe I can call Timmy and the two of us together can pinpoint the cave you wanted a little better.”

“Are you okay, Stella?” Flora asked with worry.

“I’ll be fine in a couple minutes, using so much of my light magic in such a dark place combined with the sun getting ready to set soon has me a bit drained after everything else.” Stella assured.

“If we take a break for a few do you think you will be able to fly back?” Musa asked.

“Don’t worry, I got her.” Sunset said as she picked a struggling Stella up in a princess carry.

“I can fly by myself!” Stella protested.

“I know you can, but just let me do this for you.” Sunset said as she took to the sky as Stella dropped her transformation.

“Fine.” Stella whined, “But if you drop me, I’m coming back to haunt you.”

The girls made it back later than they meant after stopping to rest a few minutes when they were getting close before walking the short distance left so nobody would see Sunset’s transformation yet. They were just passing through the gate when a sharp tone of voice bit out, “You girls are past curfew!”

“It’s my fault, don’t blame them.” Sunset said as Griselda glared at her.

“When one team member breaks the rules, the whole group gets punished.” Griselda said, a bit of a growl in her tone of voice. “Get to bed! We will discuss punishments tomorrow!”

The group of girls grumbled about how unfair it was as they shuffled away, the group making sure to let Sunset know they didn’t blame her and wasn’t angry in the least.

“And where have you three been?” Griffon demanded as the Trix finally managed to trudge into Cloud Tower making the older woman crinkle her nose as the three looked like they fell in a mud pit. “And why do you smell like crap?”

“Just a little nature walk where we had an accident. No worries.” Icy said, her lie obvious yet Griffon didn’t call her out on it.

“Just go get cleaned up, we will talk about punishments tomorrow.” Griffon grumbled as she hurried away from the three just as Icy punched the wall.

“I’ll get that damned fairy!” Icy raged, her eyes momentarily bleeding into black before fading back to normal. Both Darcy and Stormy gave each other worried looks after seeing the display. They may have only been half sisters, but they loved each other like family and would do anything for each other. This whole situation was getting out of hand though and they weren’t sure what to do about it as Icy was hellbent on getting that ring, believing it to be the key to getting the dragon flame.

“Are you insane?” Twilight Sparkle demanded, nearly raging as she stood with hands planted firmly at the table at the little sweet shop the Cakes ran in this world. The Rainbooms sat around the table as they looked up in dismay and shame as they all knew they messed up badly and were on the verge of tears.

“Darling, I don’t know how to make you believe we are so very sorry.” Rarity said softly, unable to meet Twilight’s eyes.

“I believe you are sorry, that’s not the problem. The problem is this is happening to begin with!” Twilight groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.

“We believed she lied about being friends when those pictures were posted.” Applejack defended.

“The magic of friendship doesn’t lie, she would never have been able to do what she did at the battle of the bands if she was lying.” Twilight explained through gritted teeth. How could these girls believe Sunset could do something like this after proving herself to them and Twilight by harnessing an unknown element to save them from the sirens. It was so powerful too, it felt so wild and untamed yet so pure.

“Well excuse us for knowing squat about magic!” Rainbow huffed as she crossed her arms and looked away.

“I guess you have a point, you probably wouldn’t have understood the significance of what Sunset did when you didn’t even know magic was real.” Twilight sighed, “This is partly my fault, if only I was able to return home quicker. What do your sisters even have to say about this?”

“They are truly torn up over what happened. Bloom wouldn’t even come out of her room for a couple days.” Applejack said.

“Sweetie wouldn’t even talk to me at first, said she didn’t deserve to after what she did.” Rarity sniffed.

“The little brat tried to run away when she realized the position Sunset was in because of them. We talked some sense into her, but they are all torn up over what happened.” Rainbow said.

“Okay, now for the hundred bit question for the hundredth time, where is Sunset Shimmer?” Twilight demanded.

“She left with the fairies!” Fluttershy sobbed out.

“And people say I have a big mouth.” Pinkie Pie snarked as she slammed her head into the table as Twilight gave them confused looks.

“...The what now?” Twilight asked as she tried to make some sense of that statement.

Author's Note

A big thanks goes out to Sunny Scriber for editing this chapter and the awesome additions he added. Also, thanks to ScisetShimmerEvan and Seven Fates for showing me fixes than needed to be made.

Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, sorry though Sunset hasn't had any luck finding what she was looking for. Don't worry though, she will eventually find it.